3 Months post liposuction: is swelling, bruising, and hardening normal in thighs?

Question

I had 4.2 ltr. removed from inner, lateral, and outer thighs. 1 inner thigh looks like it has "caved" in, leaving an asymmetric indention (my doctor admits will need to be revisited.)The lateral and inner thigh directly above/around the knees are swelling with new bruising and hardening.Clothing enhances the bulge. My doctor said to continue to wear the compr. garment 24 hours a day for an additional 3 months.Does any of this sound normal, unusual, and should I be concerned ?

Christopher V. Pelletiere, MD · Answer

Without seeing pictures, it is hard to say if what you are experiencing is normal or not.  Howeevr, for the amount of liposuction that you went through (4L), I would not be surprised if you are still healing and having contour changes.  That is a significant amount of removal, and can take quite awile for the tissues to recover from that.  I would listen to your plastic surgeon's advice and be patient.  I hope this helps.

Jerome D. Chao, MD · Answer

This is a tough question to answer without actually seeing you. Yes, swelling and hardening can be normal for many months after liposuction. It can be caused by many things. Sometimes continuing the garment and massage of the hardened area can be helpful. The bruising is a less usual thing at this point after surgery. Sometimes this can be the sign of some bleeding (as can swelling and hardening). We call this a hematoma, but 3 months after liposuction it would very unusual to have spontaneous bleeding from the liposuction surgery.

3 Months post liposuction: is swelling, bruising, and hardening normal in thighs?

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3 Months post liposuction: is swelling, bruising, and hardening normal in thighs?

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Everything you need to know about Liposuction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.